Impact of the internet on gamers...

[diablopath]

I don't mean this as a multiplayer sort of way.
I mean this as an informed kind of way.

IRL, I know maybe four other people who would be considered gamers, I guess. Every time I mention news to them, they've no idea what I'm talking about. I suppose they get most of their "news" from talking to people and game magazines (the people I'm referring too tend to stick to GamePro and the official magazines), but nobody is really up to date on any of the news.
I find myself having to explain entire conventions and happenings to them when all I originally planned on was seeking their opinion on something.

Sometimes I find this very annoying, because about half of the people I'm talking about are elitist assholes. My best friend hails GamePro as *the* source for anything (movies, news, reviews, previews), and I get a hailstorm of insults for using different things (mostly being GameTrailers, 1up and formerly EvAv), so maybe that's what spurred my curiosity (and anger/resentment towards him :P) about this subject.

This also leads to them being interested in games I (and most others) consider complete shit, while I hear them completely bash other games because they're a non-established franchise (I cannot get *anybody* interested in Dead Space, for instance.)

So do you think news websites and discussion communities have had any real effect on your outlook of gaming, or are you apart of these websites and whatnot as a result of your mindset?

[Sly Marbo]

I don't mean this as a multiplayer sort of way.
I mean this as an informed kind of way.

IRL, I know maybe four other people who would be considered gamers, I guess. Every time I mention news to them, they've no idea what I'm talking about. I suppose they get most of their "news" from talking to people and game magazines (the people I'm referring too tend to stick to GamePro and the official magazines), but nobody is really up to date on any of the news.
I find myself having to explain entire conventions and happenings to them when all I originally planned on was seeking their opinion on something.

Sometimes I find this very annoying, because about half of the people I'm talking about are elitist assholes. My best friend hails GamePro as *the* source for anything (movies, news, reviews, previews), and I get a hailstorm of insults for using different things (mostly being GameTrailers, 1up and formerly EvAv), so maybe that's what spurred my curiosity (and anger/resentment towards him :P) about this subject.

This also leads to them being interested in games I (and most others) consider complete shit, while I hear them completely bash other games because they're a non-established franchise (I cannot get *anybody* interested in Dead Space, for instance.)

So do you think news websites and discussion communities have had any real effect on your outlook of gaming, or are you apart of these websites and whatnot as a result of your mindset?

When I talk to my real life friends about games I feel like I'm speaking to children. Seriously. My only source of adult conversation about gaming is COG (formerly EvAv.)

[Adam Blue]

I can only talk about gaming online. There's really no one in my 'real life' I can associate with. I have a friend that's a big time gamer, but he just plays and doesn't really care to keep up with the industry.

I could say my bro, but he moved to Florida so that discussion is all online now too.

EDIT: And I guess I should add that having the internet to discuss gaming keeps me sane...even when dealing with the internet fuckwad theory.

[KingGorilla]

Probably, but I have been gaming online since 96, and have been reading game news on there for just as long. It is sort of like asking me if Grade School had an effect on me. Yeah, but nothing I can pinpoint.

There was a point where it just became natural, and I have to think hard to remember a time when it was different. Barbaric times, before 3D cards existed.

[Deadend]

Before the internet I read Gamepro and talked to other kids at Elementary School.

Now I troll forums, message boards, blogs, multiple sites, play demos, check out videos, pirate sometimes, rent often talk about games on forums, sometimes on the phone and even with one of the dudes from back when all I knew of gaming was n64.com and the middle school years.

If all I knew about gaming was from whenever I step into Gamestop or a store... I would have given up on it. Which is I think part of the reason Gamestop tries to push Game Informer so hard, to try and keep people into gaming.

[pseudopseudo]

Working at Gamestop - it's mindblowing how many gamers are ill-informed, or not informed at all. Most of the time, the shit that comes out of their mouths is insanely ridiculous, and when you ask where they heard such things, it's ALWAYS "I heard it from a friend" or "I read it somewhere".

The only place I really have any serious discussion is here, or with my brothers (who surf here and other sites).

[Squidbot]

Working in the industry, in a position where I see a regular turn over in young "gamers", I am gob smacked by the naivety of some, and the loyalty to brand names and established franchises. I'm well known in the office for yelling at testers who mention how original some pile of crap game is supposed to be.
Luckily there are plenty of more knowledgeable gamers at my place, but they are all deeply entrenched in the industry, and are a lot older than most of our testers.

[BigJonno]

Even among my informed, internet-using gaming friends, I'm the only one who regularly surfs for news and the like. Basically, I am their gaming information resource.

[Purple Santa]

This also leads to them being interested in games I (and most others) consider complete shit, while I hear them completely bash other games because they're a non-established franchise (I cannot get *anybody* interested in Dead Space, for instance.)

Just laugh at them a week after when it's out and you have played it and beaten it already while they are asking it for a Xmas present :).


So do you think news websites and discussion communities have had any real effect on your outlook of gaming, or are you apart of these websites and whatnot as a result of your mindset?

Any kind of interaction we have, passive (watching tv, reading on the internet) or otherwise has influences on our perspective. You are here on a gaming forum because the level of "dedication" you have to your hobby. This is no different than others with their hobbies. Ask someone who reads comic books could they speak about their hobby with anyone other than other collectors...you will get a similar response to what you stated in your post. Different friends etc in your life serve different functions is all. But the dumb ass friends who read Gamepro for their news...seriously...roll up that trash-mag up and hit them in the nose with it :)

[Evil Avnovice]

After getting my first taste of the internet back in 2005, it got to the point that most anything in gaming magazines I've read were about two months outdated, which is funny since they always hit the stands about a month in advance.

Nowadays, I don't read very many anymore. I still continue to read Nintendo Power, Retro Gamer, GamesTM, and Edge. Outside of the quality of those magazines, I wonder why I still bother when I can hop online and get most anything firsthand from official/fansites way before it hits print.

[Gorvi]

The internet is my gaming discussion outlet. I know a couple of people who game, one pretty heavily, but with two small children (both under two) I don't get much time at all to hang out and actually BS about anything. So, I have here! :)

[Kryopsis]

While the internet made print magazines obsolete by providing readers with a much faster access to information, I find that the immediacy of it decreased the standards of journalism. When a journalist's workload tripled, he surely will not bother with individual articles as much, resulting in a decreasing quality of writing and attention to details. The internet both brought out the worst in commercial journalism and made things like this thread a possibility.

NOTE: I am not saying that PC Gamer was ever a source of exemplary journalism but before the widespread of the internet there was never such a travesty as 1UP.com.

[pseudopseudo]

While the internet made print magazines obsolete by providing readers with a much faster access to information, I find that the immediacy of it decreased the standards of journalism. When a journalist's workload tripled, he surely will not bother with individual articles as much, resulting in a decreasing quality of writing and attention to details. The internet both brought out the worst in commercial journalism and made things like this thread a possibility.

NOTE: I am not saying that PC Gamer was ever a source of exemplary journalism but before the widespread of the internet there was never such a travesty as 1UP.com.

Actually, 1Up.com has a pretty damn good news section. (Good vid/podcasts, too.) It's the rest of it that's a little skeezy.

[Hotcod]

I have a few freinds i can talk to about this stuff and most of them are as well informed as me thank god and often they know things i don't and i get sent things i've not seen and such. We are an intelligent bunch of geeks really so we also can talk about game design and stories and such. I remember a rather deep conversation me an a friend got in to about the plot of bioshock and some of the writing and so on to the bewilderment of a friend who at first thought we must be talking about a film or a book beacuse he just didn't associate that level of "artist" discussion with games... which is another point all together... to get back on track a lot of social group are not really gamers, or even geeks, but there's a few who do play games and such who tend to stay informed about things through those of us that use the internet... there is thankfully not one person who reads any kind of mag as a news source...

So the effect the internet has had? It throws a hell of a lot of information and view at you at a much faster rate and on a wider range of things than was happening before... what seems to happen in my group of freinds is that there's a few of us that read sites like this and keep up to date with news and pick up on what interests us and we then kind of sort all the stuff out in to a general over view, for our selfs, which is much more full and "fanboy filtered" so to speak, which we then can talk about with each other... and then this distilled and discussed information is passed out to the general gamers of the group... who by now know to listen to us and not crappy hype or such...

So in other words people like us who post on forums like these tend to be people who are really in to games as a hobby and are interested in news about them... we then read enough stuff be it facts or views that we can get a good general idea of what is going on which is not based on one or two sources... less "hardcore" people tend to listen to there mags and tv or there freinds who just listen to mags or tv... there information is very narrow focused beacuse they are not interested enough to put the time in them selfs... thankfuly in my group, like i said, those people at lest know that a few of us know what we are talking about and if we tell them to play a game it's going to be good and such

[JRR006]

When I was young, before I had Internet access, I stuck with core Nintendo games. I very occasionally would convince my mom to buy me one that had a really cool box, or one that I had played at a friend's house. Now, I'm connected for a good chunk of any given day to community discussions of past, current, and upcoming titles, previews, and trailers. I'm party to a constant feast of information, as well as the online gamer culture.

I wouldn't have become a "gamer" if I hadn't had the internet and its communities. None of my friends like gaming to any great extent. It was only through the internet that I was able to join the collective, and I think it definitely changed my mindset. Gaming changed from something I did alone to a shared enjoyment and a valid topic of conversation and reflection.

Talking to my friends about games is... tricky. I can talk casual stuff like Halo and racing games with a number of acquaintances. Gaming is something they do to kill time before the football game starts. My best friend will politely listen to me if I chatter excitedly about info from E3 or TGS, but she's not usually terribly interested, she's being nice. If that was the only sort of gaming community I had, my passion for gaming would certainly have withered and died. Thanks, internet, and all you wonderful people who make it so fulfilling!

[Camel]

The internet has kept me incredibly informed as far as gaming goes, but I think it's kind of sucked the fun out as well (although part of this is that I just don't have as much free time as I used to).

The first big thing the internet did for me was provide reviews. I am trying to think back on how I used to buy games before I read online reviews, and I'll be damned if I can do it. I think I just used to look at the boxes and get what looked cool. As a result, I bought some real stinkers, but I also found all sorts of "hidden" gems that I didn't expect much out of but ended up having a blast with. Gaming was so much more novel back then...now it feels like I am just doing the same things over and over again, and it's a LOT harder to get me excited about anything. I really think part of the problem is that I know too much about a game before it's released. I have been trying to avoid reading tons of previews and reviews and things like that, and while it has helped a bit, I still can't shake that feeling that I've seen and done most of this stuff before.

I think joining EvAv kept me gaming for a lot longer than I would have had I never joined the site, but I feel like my time as a serious gamer is running out. Or not. Maybe.

Also, the internet has made me (and a whooooole lot of other gamers) a whiny bitch.

[diablopath]

The internet has kept me incredibly informed as far as gaming goes, but I think it's kind of sucked the fun out as well (although part of this is that I just don't have as much free time as I used to).

The first big thing the internet did for me was provide reviews. I am trying to think back on how I used to buy games before I read online reviews, and I'll be damned if I can do it. I think I just used to look at the boxes and get what looked cool. As a result, I bought some real stinkers, but I also found all sorts of "hidden" gems that I didn't expect much out of but ended up having a blast with. Gaming was so much more novel back then...now it feels like I am just doing the same things over and over again, and it's a LOT harder to get me excited about anything. I really think part of the problem is that I know too much about a game before it's released. I have been trying to avoid reading tons of previews and reviews and things like that, and while it has helped a bit, I still can't shake that feeling that I've seen and done most of this stuff before.

I think joining EvAv kept me gaming for a lot longer than I would have had I never joined the site, but I feel like my time as a serious gamer is running out. Or not. Maybe.

Also, the internet has made me (and a whooooole lot of other gamers) a whiny bitch.

I agree with almost every thing you've said.
However, I do not think me being a gamer is fizzling out.
Lately, it's been greatly stressed by the pressures of both financial doom, college and a part/full time (hours change) job, so I don't have nearly as much time for it as I used too.

However, every time I get a chance to actually sit alone in my room, fire up a console or double click that WoW icon, I still find myself as enthralled as I was when I was a kid play Pokemon.

The internet raised my standards dramatically, but it has not nearly killed it for me.

[Camel]

Talking to my friends about games is... tricky. I can talk casual stuff like Halo and racing games with a number of acquaintances. Gaming is something they do to kill time before the football game starts.
You know, this might be part of my problem. I tend to consider gaming as a time-killer as opposed to any kind of serious hobby. I really straddle the line as far as gaming goes. I genuinely enjoy reading about games and having conversations with everyone online, but I don't really take it all that seriously.

A while ago, I posted a poll on EvAv asking if anyone would mention gaming as a hobby of theirs in a job interview, and was honestly AMAZED by the people who definitely would. I am somewhat embarrassed by the amount of time and money I spend on games I constantly feel like I should be spending my time doing something more "productive," but maybe that's beacuse I have a job that, at the moment at least, requires a lot of time from me at home (I am a first year teacher).

My problem is probably just that I am jealous of others and wish I had more free time to play games. :)

[Hotcod]

Game are now thankfully at the point where they can start to be seen in the same "space" as films and music... most of it is just pure entertainment, which is not a bad thing, but some of which is either remarkable examples of that entertainment or increasingly on some 'artisic' level meaningful... either in story or design... i've just always found it odd that people are ashamed of spending time and money on gaming and are looked down on by a lot of people... while some one spending the same time and money on films or music is seen as "normal"...

Well ok not odd, as it makes sense given that games are only just coming in to there own as true entertainment and even artistic medium and have only really in the last 5 years started to shake off the mainstream idea that it's just for kids or geeks... i think as time goes on it will be seen as more fully equal to film and music in terms of an entertainment hobby.

Like i said above there's a number of my freinds who now play games who are not who you'd think would and who if this was 10 years ago probably wouldn't have...

[Heretic Machine]

I've known maybe three people in my adult life who were anywhere near as informed about gaming as I am. Generally this means that I don't get many opportunities to talk about games IRL, and I typically avoid them, knowing that the people I would be talking to won't have a fucking clue as to what I'm talking about.

It would be like a car enthusiast trying to have a serious conversation with me about cars because I own an '05 Altima... What the fuck do I know about cars? They run on gas, and get me from place to place, that's about it. For most people, games just fill time and provide a minor distraction from other things; they don't want to talk to me about video games.

Now, more annoying than that, are the people who consider themselves hardcore gamers, when they are at best casual-core or whatever-the-fuck. The kind of people who will argue with me about release dates, console features, development teams... the kind of thing that I know like the back of my hand. I dated one of those people for a while, and decided right then that from then on, the people I date either have to be blank slates in terms of gaming, or as into it as I am. I just can't stand hearing someone talk about how they only buy Square-Enix games because "the graphics are so awesome." That kind of statement is like a brick upside my head.

[JRR006]

You know, this might be part of my problem. I tend to consider gaming as a time-killer as opposed to any kind of serious hobby. I really straddle the line as far as gaming goes. I genuinely enjoy reading about games and having conversations with everyone online, but I don't really take it all that seriously.

A while ago, I posted a poll on EvAv asking if anyone would mention gaming as a hobby of theirs in a job interview, and was honestly AMAZED by the people who definitely would. I am somewhat embarrassed by the amount of time and money I spend on games I constantly feel like I should be spending my time doing something more "productive," but maybe that's beacuse I have a job that, at the moment at least, requires a lot of time from me at home (I am a first year teacher).

My problem is probably just that I am jealous of others and wish I had more free time to play games. :)

I remember that poll, but don't remember how I answered! I don't feel embarrassed the time or money I spend on games, as when I play I'm in it for the story or teamwork, so I can equate it in my head to people watching movies or playing casual team sports. I imagine that as a first-year teacher you have a ton on your plate, and I understand how down time can be tainted by the nagging thought that you should be doing something productive. Right now I've taken a break from Old English work, but I'm thinking I should really read a few articles for my term paper. I cut back so much during the school year that I'm barely a functional gamer at all, yet here I am! ;)

As for how "serious" a hobby gaming can be, I guess it all depends on what an individual is looking for, what they're putting in and what they're getting out. I've put so many mental hours into games, I certainly hope it can be a legitimate hobby... :o In my Modernism class we've been looking at Nietzsche's work, and my brain had the audacity to start exploring potential elements of The Genealogy of Morals in Metal Gear Solid 2.

[TheKeck]

I have made a thread like this before. In other words, I totally agree. Like, a million. :p

[diablopath]

I think I truly have found a home.

[Karak]

So do you think news websites and discussion communities have had any real effect on your outlook of gaming, or are you apart of these websites and whatnot as a result of your mindset?

I think putting stock into what a random person the internet says that would effect my buying decision in a MAJOR way is folly at best. However, to see pics, study the art style, hear who composed the music, and see what the designers have to say are all very interesting things to do.

I would say that forums have no more than a 10% stock in my buying ideas.

[TheKeck]

Team Fortress 2... it looks like a kids game. I mean... how hard could it be? <Mocking look on face>
Yeah... I'll stick with you fine gentlemen (and women) for my video game discussion.

[Durka-Dan]

It's interesting in that I use to have a friend who was exactly like the OP who was all over the internet, magazines and was basically my source for gaming news. And we argued ALL THE TIME. This was the time for me in high school where I was really starting to get into games and considering it one of my main hobbies. Eventually my friend and I went separate ways and another friend of mine, EvilNarWhale, enlightened me to EvAv and I drifted through that site for a couple years before actually signing up. Now I, after having my brother move in with me, feel like the OP in that I ride through the streets late at night on my horse, lantern held high in the air, and shout to the towns people that the games are coming.

[Tel Prydain]

I have made massive posts before about types of gamers.
Specifically that there are different reasons people play (social, games as sport and escapism). Then there is another axis that kinda represents how ‘into’ games individuals are.

I think that there are a lot of people who play single-player games who play for the social aspect of talking it over with other people later, and the internet has really allowed that group to grow.

[Bad Buddha]

Yo, dawg! All my peeps and I talk some heavy shizzle bout games all the time!

Sorry... I got nothing. My son and I sometimes discuss something that's coming out or a game that just hit the stores and is hot... and he wants me to buy it so that HE can play it. That's the extent of my face-to-face interaction.

My wife and I talked about Peggle Nights the other day! Does that count?

CoG is my only hope!